Confronting the Monster

Vivienne's POV.

I didn’t know why I was doing this. It was reckless, maybe even stupid, but the nightmares had pushed me past my limit. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him, his smug face, his voice, commanding and cruel. He made me relive that awful moment, telling me to strip, his words twisting like a blade in my mind. And then my kids’ faces, terrified, helpless. I couldn’t take it anymore.